Randi Altschul facts for kids

Randice-Lisa "Randi" Altschul (born 1960) is an American inventor and toy developer from Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Even without much technical training, she created many successful toys and board games. She became a millionaire by the time she was 26 years old. Later, Randi Altschul founded a company called Diceland Technologies. There, she invented the world's first disposable cell phone. She also co-wrote a novel titled Sorry, You Can't Enter Heaven in 2008.

Randi Altschul: Toy Inventor

Randi Altschul first became famous for her creative toys and games. One of her early ideas was a board game based on the popular TV show Miami Vice. This game later inspired the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which became a huge seller in 2002.

Popular Toy Creations

Some of her other well-known inventions included:

• A Barbie's 30th Birthday Game.
• A special stuffed toy that kids could wear. This toy could give hugs when the child controlled it.
• A monster-shaped breakfast cereal. This cereal would turn soft when milk was added.

Altschul also earned money by selling ideas for board games. These games were often linked to other popular American TV shows, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons. Her success in the toy world helped her invest in new, super-thin technology.

Inventing the Disposable Phone

The idea for a disposable phone came to Randi Altschul when she was using her regular mobile phone. She lost her signal and felt like throwing the expensive phone away. This made her think about how useful a phone that could be thrown away might be, especially for travelers. To make her idea happen, Altschul started a new company called Diceland Technologies.

The Phone-Card-Phone

In November 1999, Randi Altschul worked with Lee Volte. He was a Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Tyco. Together, they created the first disposable phone. They called their invention the Phone-Card-Phone. It was named this because it was about the same size as a phone card.

Features of the Phone-Card-Phone

• The phone was very thin, less than a quarter-inch thick.
• It was made from recycled paper materials.
• It had a special chip that allowed users to make purchases. This was one of the first times mobile payment was tried.
• The Phone-Card-Phone sold for about $20.
• It could be used for up to one hour of talk time.
• People who returned the phone after using it could get a credit of two or three dollars.

In 2002, the Phone-Card-Phone was recognized as "Product of the Year" by Frost and Sullivan.

Who Was the Disposable Phone For?

Randi Altschul and Diceland Technologies imagined different types of people using the Phone-Card-Phone.

• They thought it would be good for people who did not care about having the newest technology.
• It was also for parents who wanted their children to be able to call them easily.
• Tourists who only needed a phone for a short trip abroad were another target group.
• People who did not want a long-term mobile phone contract found it useful.

See also

In Spanish: Randi Altschul para niños